Resisting the Inevitable
by elefantpheathers
Summary: The pounding of their hearts echoed in the silence of the room. The children joined hands, and silently prayed for a victory, even if it must be their last. Takes place during Sozin's Comet.


**Author's Notes:** Yay!! I wrote a one-shot!! It took me about two hours or so, but I wrote it!! This takes place on the day of Sozin's Comet, and made sure I wrote this before the series finale tonite!! It was inspired by that little clip of the Sozin's Comet trailer where Zuzu was twitching on the ground. So without further ado, my first one-shot!!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own "Avatar: The Last Airbender."

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Five fearless children stood at the door of the Fire Lord's throne room. They each descended from a different element, but all came to the world for a single purpose: to save the world.

That was it. After months and months of grueling training, proud victories, and unbearable loss, it came down to this. There were no more second chances. If they defeated the Fire Lord, the world will be at balance. And if they failed, the four nations will fall for all time. The fate of the world was in their hands.

The pounding of their hearts echoed in the silence of the room. They trembled with an indescribable feeling that they were sure no one had ever felt before. The children joined hands, and silently prayed for a victory, even if it must be their last.

They released their hold, and exchanged excited, fearful, disbelieving glances. And then they opened the door.

The youth assumed a fighting stance, searching for the man behind the flames. His silhouette was distorted and dark, but his golden eyes unmistakably shone through the fire. They reflected the light of the flames, glistening with evil. When he proudly stepped through the flames, the children could not help but shudder.

"Here to destroy me, are you? Bring peace to the nations; save the world possibly? Fools." The ice of his voice sent chills up the children's spines. Ozai came down from his platform, silently becoming level with the group. "I'm sure you're aware that Sozin's Comet will arrive in no time. Have fun playing into your own destruction." The young warriors did not move. He examined each individual, stopping at the young man on the farthest right. "My son," he cooed, "Here to take me down as well?" Fire Lord Ozai bored with hatred into the prince's eyes. "I don't believe you can. You're too weak; you will just miserably fail, again."

"I'm not weak! You're just a coward," the son of the Fire Lord barked.

"Well then, let's just see how much of a coward I am. Let's watch you resist the inevitable."

Ozai made the first strike, a powerful wave of fire coming at the children. The Earthbender bent a wall of rock to block it. The Avatar ran straight at the Fire Lord, bending a current of humid air towards Ozai. He stepped quickly out of the way, following with a seemingly inescapable series of fast fire kicks and punches. A Waterbender extinguished the attack effortlessly before forming uncountable ice spears. She lashed them at the enemy. He crouched close to the ground, dodging every one. He spun his leg around him, a ring of fire running towards the children. The Fire Prince Zuko swung his foot across the fire, sending it back towards the owner. It came close to licking Ozai's feet, but did no damage. The Fire Lord conjured a massive amount of burning red flame on his palms, stepped backwards, and lunged forward. As the immensely powerful wall of fire jumped at the group, every child built up a defense. Water, earth, air, and fire clashed against fire, blowing everyone backwards and sliding them across shining floor.

The five stood up, ready to fight again, but stopped. A roaring was heard from above the palace. They knew what that sound meant. It was the end.

Both father and son felt uncontainable power surge through their veins. The other children's eyes grew wide with fear. They had no chance. They had the choice to surrender, and leave the prince to face the most powerful Firebender in the world, or keep fighting and die together.

They made the fatal choice.

The youth stood and lunged toward the Fire Lord, simultaneously unleashing their most powerful strikes.

"NO!! You don't have a chance! Please!" the prince bellowed in time with his father's strike. In that split second when the fire had traveled straight towards him from across the room, even Zuko's bad eye widened. He did nothing else.

He wouldn't survive.

He crashed to the ground, the feeling of being thrown into a raging inferno running through his body. White hot pain engulfed his entire being. He twitched helplessly on the floor of his father's room.

He couldn't hear. He couldn't think. _I'm dead. I'm not alive. I'm not living._ A vaguely familiar girl ran towards him. He didn't know who she was, or how she got there. All he knew was that he wouldn't be alive much longer. Through his blurred vision, he saw her scream something at him. He heard no sound. The girl kneeled next to him, something glowing on her hands.

The prince's vision went black. He became numb. He no longer moved

Katara did all she could to save the Firebender, but she knew there was nothing she could do. He couldn't be saved.

As Fire Lord Ozai laughed, the Avatar's eyes and tattoos began to glow. He unleashed the power of the four elements onto Ozai, and with a single strike, the Fire Lord fell. Just like his son.

The other children ran to the fallen prince. The girl in blue motioned to them to leave, and they did so. She wouldn't let her tearing eyes leave Zuko's face. She shook him hard, but he didn't become live. She wouldn't let him die. She couldn't let him die.

But she did.

Tears streamed down her face. She had never been this angry, confused, scared, or anything before. _I let him die. I could've saved him._

She wiped away her tears, and lifted the prince's head.

_Come back. Please._

She put her face close to his, and laid her lips onto his. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, embracing his body. Her tears wet his face, and she didn't care. She ran her fingers through his hair, and put kissed him for the last time.

"I just wish I could've known if you loved me too."

The world saved, she stood up and walked with sorrow toward the exit. She looked back one last time at the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

"Just don't forget me."


End file.
